The Internet, and World Wide Web in particular, is increasingly being used to conduct electronic commerce. Many web servers have been developed through which vendors can sell goods. Goods (also referred to herein as items or products) can include both downloadable items (e.g., music) that are delivered electronically to the purchaser over the Internet and items (e.g., digital video disks and books) that are delivered through conventional distribution channels (e.g., a common carrier).
A server computer system may provide an electronic version of a catalog that lists the goods that are available. A user, who is a potential purchaser, may browse through the catalog using a browser on a client computer and select various goods that are to be purchased. When the user has completed selecting the items to be purchased, the server computer system then prompts the user for information to complete the ordering of the items. This purchaser-specific order information may include the purchaser's name, the purchaser's credit card number, and a shipping address for the order. Alternatively, the purchaser-specific order information may have been previously entered and stored by the server computer system. The server computer system then typically confirms the order by sending a confirming web page to the client computer system and schedules shipment of the items.
The World Wide Web is also being used to conduct other types of commercial transactions besides the sale of goods. For example, some server computer systems have been developed to rent goods such as digital video disks (DVDs) electronically. Instead of purchasing goods, the user browses through the electronic catalog and selects various goods to be rented. The server system maintains a record of goods that have been rented by a user. When a user returns goods that have been rented, the goods are checked in such that the server computer system knows that goods have been returned. For example, a rented good may have a bar code identifier that is scanned when the good is returned. Some server computer systems have been developed to allow users to download digital content such as music. However, since free file sharing networks exist in alternative, it has been difficult to convince file sharers to rent or purchase downloadable content.
Although systems exist which allow users to either rent or buy goods, in the prior art systems do not provide a convenient, efficient, and advantageous mechanisms to do both. Thus, there is a need for improved systems that allow a user to both rent and purchase goods.